[1] The plants have a unique appearance for members of the parsley family, and are tall (1–3 feet) and grasslike, with threadlike leaves 1–6 inches long that resemble blades of grass.

The plants effectively mimic tall grass and are virtually invisible until they flower, since they tend to grow in grassy meadows, and prefer full sunlight.

[citation needed] The plants are widely distributed in moist open meadows and hillsides up to 7,500 feet (2,300 m) across Western North America.

The nutlike roots of the plant are crunchy and mildly sweet, and resemble water chestnuts in texture and flavor.

Yampah roots contain rapidly assimilatable carbohydrates, and were used by hunters and runners as a high energy food to enhance physical endurance.